You saw the fancy videos, but how does the iPhone 5S stand up in the real world? Is it the best phone ever, or just the best iPhone ever? There's only one name to call, and that name begins with "G" and ends with "areth Beavis". Our smartphone supremo is all over the 5S like a finger on a Touch ID sensor.

As he rightly points out, a minor price hike means that the iPhone 5S is "one of the most expensive smartphones out there, even on 3G price plans." The smartphone world is very different these days, and the iPhone has some very credible rivals. Is it still worth the extra cost?

The 5S looks the luxe part, but we're not sure if it's insides seal the deal

The short answer is "hmmm". It's a 'tweener model - the S iPhones are always relatively minor improvements, with the big changes happening when the phones get a brand new number - but nevertheless it's "one of the most cutting-edge smartphones around, imbued with a top-end camera and a really innovative feature with Touch ID." Touch ID is going to be a very big deal, we suspect, and that M7 motion processor is interesting too.

That's the good. The bad? Price, the relatively small screen, price and price. It's a lovely thing, but "we can't see what lives in the iPhone 5S to justify being the most expensive phone on the market." That said, if you like this sort of thing then this is the sort of thing you will like.

Plastic surgery

The 5C marks Apples first bid for the budget market

That doesn't bode well for the iPhone 5C, which is essentially a plastic iPhone 5. It wasn't as cheap as many hoped, so is this a cheap iPhone or just a cheaper iPhone? It's an important distinction. Over to Mr Beavis, who favours "cheaper" over "cheap": the iPhone 5C is "slightly more affordable. Slightly being the key word."

The whole thing leaves Beavis rather puzzled. As a device it's nice enough, but "its price tag, overall design and lack of glass-based, premium feel leaves a slightly unpleasant taste." Apple hasn't gone downmarket to slug it out with no-name cheapies, but the price isn't that much lower for a device that "lacks that premium feeling we've become accustomed to from iPhones... does it feel like it's worth the money you're paying? In all honesty, no."

The iPhone 5C may be cheaper than the iPhone 5S, but it's more expensive than the HTC One, Samsung Galaxy S4 and Nokia Lumia 925. We can't help thinking that where previous iPhones were all about the devices, the 5C is all about the marketing.

Operational issues

Both the iPhone 5S and 5C run iOS 7, the latest and possibly greatest version of Apple's mobile operating system. So if you're thinking of upgrading, just how different is it really? We've put together a quick list of the major differences between iOS 7 and iOS 6, so you can see whether your favourite features have been affected. Not all of its goodies are immediately obvious, though, so we've also provided you with a list of our favourite iOS 7 tips and tricks too.